Infusion apparatus for blood plasma and the like



m 2 H U CROSS REFERENCE 53% HOW y 7, 1962 c. NORTON ETA]. 3,044,663

INFUSION APPARATUS FOR BLOOD PLASMA AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 18, 1960 myszvroas fwd 314 025,

BY WQWEEZJ United States Patent 3,044,663 INFUSION APPARATUS FOR BLOOD PLASMA AND THE LIKE Lois C. Norton and Russell R. Norton, Del Mar, Calif.,

assignors of ten percent to A. F. Graf von Soden,

San Diego, Calif.

Filed Jan. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 3,060 1 Claim. (Cl. ZZZ-39) This invention relates to an apparatus adapted for regulating and controlling the flow of parenteral solutions which are to be administered to a patient by means of a suitable hypodermic needle during intravenous injections.

M-anifestly, an object of the invention is to provide a suitable container, which in a preferred form is made out of flexible, pliable and transparent material and adapted for retaining therein the blod plasma or a mixture thereof, which is formed into ACD (acid, citrate, dextrose) solution, or any other chemio-fiuidal compound that may be intravenously introduced into the patient.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide means for holding and for retaining the blood plasma within a hermetically sealed container, said container having a suitable volume displacement means for pressing and ejecting said blood plasma, either whole or in ACD solution from said sealed container and through a hypodermic needle, such ejection being at a rate of flow which commensurates with the maximum or possibly permissible and absorbable rate of a parenteral solution by the body of a patient, or at any controllable and measunable rate of flow as may be deemed desirable and advantageous.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding and retaining the hypodermic needle in place and when in position for preventing same from becoming dislodged and thereby preventing infiltration during the process of blood transfusion.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for holding said blood plasma container in place and position, having in addition an electroluminous means associated therewith for automatically and with preciseness to register and to indicate by sound the lowness, emptying or exhausted position of said blood plasma within said container, so that another and full container may be introduced and be used during a necessary and lengthy process of blood transfusion.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for automatically and accurately mixing the blood of the donor with the required percent of ACD solution, so that same, in a compounded form, may be successfully introduced to the patient without loss of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide said apparatus with an auxiliary pressure supply means, which may be a pump, air pressure tank, CO cartridge or cap sule, and the like, the expansion volume of which to be in conformity with the displacement volume of the container, also, having a valve means for regulating the air pressure including a gage for indicating and measuring the tension of the fiuidal mass passing into said container and directly bearing upon the blood plasma expelled therefrom, so that said blood plasma or other fiuidal compound may be introduced into the patient in a mixed form together with the donors blood at the required rate of flow and pressure, and without depending upon the use of the conventional administration of said fluid by gravity and drip chamber, or the like.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical in manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

3,044,663 Patented July 17, 1962 The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description.

Reference is now had to the accompanying drawings, in which the similar reference characters denote the same parts.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic 'view of the apparatus when applied for mixing and injecting the blood plasma during the intravenous administration.

FIG. 2 shows a vertically sectional view of the container, disclosing the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a vertically sectional and slightly enlarged view of the interlocked joint used in said container, and taken from the left of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a partly elevational and partly sectional view of the receptacle, having the container deposited therein and when in position -for use.

FIG. 5 shows the apparatus in position in use and provided with an electroluminous feature associated therewith together with the wiring diagram therefor.

FIG. 6 shows an elevational view of the blood transfusion apparatus, provided with an auxiliary air pressure capsule.

FIG. 7 shows an elevational view of the hypodermic needle, having a base provided with a pair of annular members.

Describing the invention more in detail, in its broader aspects, said invention comprises a container generally designated by numeral 2, which consists of upper and lower hemispherical sections 4 and 6 respectively, each section having a suitable band extension which terminates with encompassing flanges 8 and 10, said flanges being provided with a suitable sealing ridge and thereby forming a hermetieal seal for said container 2 when in position, also, said flanges are provided with a suitable fastening and clamping member 12 for holding same in sealed position.

An outlet passage 14 is provided in said lower hemispherical section 6, which is securely sealed by means of a plug or the like, and particularly when the blood plasma is deposited within said container 2, also, internally of said hemispherical section 6 a flexible and pliable halfspherical envelope 16 is provided, which extends upwardly into said upper hemispherical section 4 and having the annular band end 18 extending downwardly which is sealed into suitable annular internal ring 20, so that when in position, an air chamber 22 may be formed between the inner wall of said upper hemispherical section 4 and the top of said envelope member 16.

Since said lower hemispherical section 6 of said container 2 is substantially more rigid as compared with the flexible texture of said envelope 16, then the inflation and distention of said envelope walls may be easily secured, so that during the emptying process of said blood plasma, the flexible part of said envelope may be deposited internally of said lower hemispherical section 6, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4, the purpose and operation of which will be presently described.

An inlet passage 24 is provided in said upper hemispherical seotion 4 of said container 2, to which a suitable pipe extension 26 is connected, and which is provided with a pressure indicating gage 28 and a valve member 30, as shown.

The pipe extension 26 connects with an air supply tank 32 which is under pressure and having a pump member 34, as shown in FIG. 5.

It may be noted, that said air supply tank 32 may, if so desired, be substituted for a C0 reservoir 36, as shown in FIG. '1, or, that it may be substituted for an air pressure capsule or a C0 capsule 38, as shown in FIG. 6.

For patients requiring a blood transfusion in case of an emergency, and where the space for administering blood transfusion is limited, such as in mines, tunnels or shafts, aircraft flying at high altitudes, battle fields, etc., then a capsule 38 may be used for forcing and deflating said envelope 16 into the 'lower hemispherical section 6 of said container 2, thus allowing the blood plasma to pass from said container into and through a transmission tube 40 of the apparatus and then by way of suitable connecting tube into a mixer 41 and then to a hypodermic needle 42, as shown in FIG. I.

Said hypodermic needle 42, which is of new design as shown in FIG. 7, is provided with a pair of annular ring sections 44, so that a strip of the adhesive tape 46, see FIG. 1, may be employed therebetween and thereby holding said hypodermic needle in place and position during the blood transfusion operation.

Further, in order to maintain said hypodermic needle 42 in a subcutaneous position and particularly at the adjacent and extendable portion of said transmission tube 40 connecting said needle, so that the flow of blood plasma will not be interrupted or impaired and which may be due to or caused by an involuntary convulsive muscular contraction, or by a spasmodic contraction and stricture afiecting the membrane of the fibrous tissue of a patient, then a suitably cut out and formed strip of adhesive pad 48 may be employed, as shown in FIG. 1, thereby eliminating the possibility of blood transfusion interruption and infiltration, and even in cases where patient conditions are diflicult and unusual to cope with.

In order to regulate the volume of the passing blood plasma during the transfusion operation, which may be any particular part or portion thereof that may be disposed wi-thin said container 2, a suitable electroluminous apparatus is provided, which is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and which is adjustable in operation for securing any desired volume outflow or the cc. capacity, that may be allowed to pass through said needle 42.

The control and regulation of flow of the fluidal mass passing from said container 2 is accomplished by means of the electrical equipment, consisting of a light source 50 and a selenium cell 52, each of which is mounted in an adjustable mounting frame, so that their angular positions may be regulated and controlled as required.

Said light source 50 and said selenium cell 52 are mounted upon a cover member 54 of the receptacle 56, wherein said blood plasma container 2 is mounted, and each having a suitable light ray condensing member 58, as shown in FIG. 4.

The central upper section of said envelope 16 is provided with a mounting boss 60 adapted for receiving and for holding a mirror or a reflecting member 62 in a horizontal position, as shown, the reflecting surface section of which being directed toward said light source and said selenium cell 50" and 52, respectively.

When in operation, said light source and said selenium cell are each adjusted to a desired angle, and since the mounting boss 60 is considerably heavier in relation to the wall thickness of said envelope 16, said mounting boss 60 will travel upwardly and downwardly following the center line and following the discharged volume of blood plasma passing out through said transmission tube 40 of said container 2.

'In this manner said mounting boss 60 and said reflecting member 62 will travel downwardly in a vertical line, so that the light rays of said light source 50, when properly adjusted and passing through said condenser 58, will form an angle of incidence when directed upon the surface of said reflecting member 62, while the angle of reflection thus formed provides a light ray which is directed to said selenium cell 52 for energizing same and which closes the circuit.

Therefore, a predetermined setting for a calculated volume of blood plasma or other fluid of combined compounds may be had and maintained, that may be allowed to pass out of said container 2, and into said mixer member 41, as shown in FIG. 1, the light source and said selenium cell being adjusted to the desired angle upon the reflecting member 62, which in following the discharged volume of blood plasma to a point where said light source 50 reflecting from said reflecting member 62 will intercept and will activate said selenium cell 52, thereby closing the electric circuit and allowing the electrical current to pass therethrough when the switch 66 of said electrical circuit is closed, for energizing the sounding member connecting said apparatus.

In wiring, said light source 50 is provided with a lead wire 68 leading to a battery 70, allowing the electrical current to pass through said switch 66, having a lead wire for connecting a sounding member 72, such as a bell or the like, from which a lead wire 74 connects with said selenium cell 52, said circuit also having a lead wire 76 for connecting said selenium cell 52 and said light source 50 as shown, for completing the circuit.

When said container 2 is deposited and positioned within said receptacle 56, said transmission tube 40 may, if so desired, be connected to a suitably arranged piercing unit 78, as shown in FIG. 4, so that the regulation of flow of the blood plasma from said container 2 may be directed into said hypodermic needle 42 when required.

While this invention is described herein with great particularity, it will be clear that the same may be modified throughout a wide range.

Accordingly, it is not proposed that this invention be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown on the drawings and described in the specification, and therefore, reservations of the rights in practice are made, to the end that necessary modifications may be had, which may come within the scope of the appended claim.

We claim as our invention:

A parenteral fluid solution dispensing apparatus of the class described comprising a spherical container, said container consisting of transparent upper and a lower hemispherical section, a clamping member encompassing the juxtaposed open edges of said upper and lower hemispherical section for sealing and for holding same together, an annular ring internally positioned within said lower hemispherical section and having the bottom edge of said ring homogeneously secured with the wall of said lower hemispherical section and the upper edge of said ring extending upwardly and terminating in close proximity to said open edge thereof, a hemispherical envelope of resilient structure within said container and having an annular band end thereof held in sealed position by said internal annular ring of said lower hemispherical section, an air inlet passage in said upper hemispherical section for directing a volume of air against the outer surface section of said hemispherical envelope, a fluid outlet passage in said lower hemispherical section for directing the fluid flow outwardly from said container when forcibly depressing said hemispherical envelope, in combination with; a receptacle for holding said spherical container in housed position, a fluid outlet connecting in said receptacle for interconnecting said fluid outlet passage in said lower hemispherical section and for connecting same with a hypodermic needle, an air inlet connection in said receptacle connected to said air inlet passage of said upper hemispherical section to permit the supply of air or gas under pressure to act against the top of said hemispherical envelope and thereby replace air or gas in the exact quantity of parenteral fluid solution passing out of said spherical container, a mounting boss provided upon the central upper and outer surface section of said upwardly extendable hemispherical envelope and internally into said upper hemispherical section, a reflector member supported upon said mounting boss, an electroluminous means mounted on said receptacle for focusing light rays upon said reflector member and thereby indieating one level within the container of the parenteral fluid solution passing from said container, electrical wiring connecting said receptacle and said electro-luminous means, and a sounding member connecting said electrical Wiring for sounding ofi an alarm when energized by the beam of light rays passing from said electro-luminous means and focused upon said reflector member when said container becomes empty of said parenteral fluid solution deposited therein and drained through said hypodernic needle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hazard Dec. 15, 1936 Hildreth Apr. 4, 1950 Wetzel et a1 June 19, 1951 Milster et a1 Feb. 21 ,1956

Spengler et a1 May 5, 1956 

